Sasuke doesn't mind
by Kikina
Summary: He can't change the fact that he fell for him even if he gets called an idiot, and maybe he does look that foolish. Just why did he have to fall so hard for such a person?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** He can't change the fact that he fell for him even if he gets called an idiot, and maybe he does look that foolish. Just why did he have to fall so hard for such a person?

**A/N:** Uh… Yeah not much to say about the story but to enjoy the first chapter. This is actually a short story that I enjoyed writing. I had kind of finished it, so I said why not post it and bam here it is.

**Disclaimer:** still don't own Naruto only the story.

"…." Talking

'…..' Thought/thinking

~~*o*~~ scene change or break whatever you want to call it.

* * *

"If this continues, you will fail. This is your last year. Don't you want to graduate with your friends Uzumaki?" The teacher asked. "Of course I do" he answered, giving a fake smile. He was used to doing this now and it's not like anyone noticed. "I can't say that I believe you. Just try harder." With that he finished what he had to say and Naruto left.

Leaving the school premises he saw a tall brunette standing, with his back against the wall. He kept walking and didn't look up when the same brunette started walking next to him. "You again" Naruto said in an irritated voice. "That didn't sound very loving" the brunette replied, giving a little smile. "That's because it wasn't!" the blond spat back, still not giving him a glance. The brunette couldn't help but feel a little sad at the way Naruto talked to him, but he didn't let it show.

"What did the teacher say?" he asked. "None of your damn business" he spat back. The brunette still retained the look on his face. He was used to the way Naruto talked to him, but it still hurt to hear it. "Your grades, right?" It wasn't a question and Naruto knew that. "You think you're so damn smart, don't you? He's dumb. It must be his grades, right? Is that what you're thinking?" He had stopped walking at that point. "You know that's not it" He hated it when Naruto said things like that. "You know it's because…I'm always looking at you, Naruto." It was the truth and it wasn't the first time he said it either. The blond finally looked up at the brunette, giving him a fake smile and saying "fuck off, Uchiha" then started walking again. Sasuke paused for only a moment before turning and walking with the blond once again.

The next day was the same as any regular school day. Sasuke watched Naruto as he sat in his seat. He watched him as he smiled at their other friends that approached him. At lunch time Sasuke would sit with Naruto and the gang. They were all friends, and Naruto didn't treat Sasuke the way he did when their friends were around. Everyone thought Sasuke and Naruto were close. Naruto didn't talk to Sasuke or give him a glance at all. This was their daily routine for a while now. Even though Sasuke was used to the routine, he hated it. He knew that the reason Naruto didn't treat him like the others was his fault, Naruto had told him so himself but, Sasuke never regretted what happened.

"Naruto" Sasuke said, approaching the blond who was getting ready to leave. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Naruto didn't respond but he turned and looked at Sasuke. "I was thinking when we're free during school and afterwards, I could tutor you and help you study." Naruto gave him a very irritated look and was about to say something when Sasuke spoke first. "If you say yes I'll treat you to ramen or whatever you want" he said, smiling and hoping his bribe had worked. Yes, he was trying to bribe the blond so he could help him study. Naruto looked away and sighed. "Why not?" He turned to leave and Sasuke immediately followed.

Naruto was hungry so he let Sasuke treat him while they studied. It didn't hurt that the bastard was a good teacher too. "That's right, see I told you you're smart. You just need it explained in a way that's easier to understand." He smiled at Naruto who ordered another bowl of ramen. His fifth bowl to be exact. It was fine since it was Sasuke's treat and he was able to spend time with the difficult blond.

"So Naruto, do you have any college in mind?" Sasuke asked as he walked Naruto home like he usually did. "No" was his simple reply. Sasuke took that as a sign that Naruto was in a good mood since he answered so quickly. "Is there anything in particular that you're interested in?" He heard Naruto sigh and repeat his answer. "I think you should major in sociology." At that, Naruto looked at him. He had a pensive look on his face until he asked "why?" Sasuke couldn't help it that he smiled a little, which made Naruto get a little pissed. "Because you're comfortable" The blond stopped. "Comfortable?" he repeated. "That's right. It's easy for people to open up to you and you don't mind listening. So something in the field of sociology or psychology might suit you" Sasuke finished, still receiving the same look from Naruto as they started walking again.

Sasuke wanted to end it there. He should have stopped, but he couldn't. "But you know" he said quietly "it would be great if you didn't show _that_ smile." Naruto stopped and turned to Sasuke. "You know, it's not like you're worth _that_ smile" he spat in a cold tone. Sasuke just took a breath and smiled, making Naruto angry. "That's what I hate about you, your smile." That stupid little smile he did. "I don't mind" Sasuke said. "Why do you say that? I just said I hate you, you and that stupid smile. I hate you, Uchiha!" he yelled. "Well, I'm hoping to change that." He was calm, or just appeared to be anyway. "Why" Naruto asked, but he already knew what the bastard would say, "Because I love you." Since it wasn't the first time he had said it. "Stop stalking me" Naruto said unfazed. "It's not stalking, it's love. Besides, we're friends, aren't we?" Sasuke said with his subtle smile. Naruto just sighed and continued on his way.

'Besides, we're friends aren't we?' Sasuke couldn't help but let his words from earlier echo in his head as he lied in his bed. He thought back to how it all started. It was about two years ago when Naruto transferred into Konoha High. Not many things really caught Sasuke's attention, but on that day Naruto had. It wasn't because he looked as though he had just won a fight or that he appeared to scare a lot of the people in the class. It was probably when he scratched his sun-blond hair and opened his sky blue eyes that Sasuke had become smitten, because when he smiled and said "Hey, the name's Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you," that's when Sasuke couldn't turn his eyes away.

It had been easy for Naruto to make friends, and at the time Sasuke had made sure to be one of them. After three months he knew he had more than friendly feeling towards him. Everyone thought they were best friends, and in truth they were. During the five months of knowing Naruto, Sasuke finally decided to profess his feelings to him. He wanted him to know how he felt and how strong his feelings really were for him.

He got them alone together and asked Naruto " are you ok?" Naruto was surprised at the question and asked "what do you mean? I'm fine." He didn't understand where Sasuke was coming from. "No, you're not" was Sasuke's response. "Oh? And how do you know that?" he smiled back. "Because I've been watching you since that first day you caught my attention, with that smile of yours." At that Naruto paused. "Naruto, why do you do that fake smile?" At that Naruto's smile dropped. "It might work on everyone else but it won't work on me."

Naruto sighed then looked at Sasuke with cold eyes. "Who the hell cares what you think?" he spat, and it shocked Sasuke. That tone, the coldness. This wasn't Naruto. "I'd like to see your real smile, Naruto. I'm in love with you." Sasuke's voice and eyes were warm, showing his sincerity. Naruto looked up and gave Sasuke _that_ big smile. "Fuck off, Uchiha." He not only rejected Sasuke, he had truly hurt him. Then he left him standing there alone. But Sasuke had meant what he said.

Even though they kept up the 'best friends' façade, Sasuke would still tell him he loved him. He wanted Naruto to be happy. Even after a year and a half, Sasuke still loved him. Even though Naruto glared, even though he cursed, even though he was always cold to Sasuke, Sasuke still loved him. He loved Naruto and he was hurt.

~*o*~

Sasuke sat up in class realizing he had fallen asleep. Last night he was recalling what went on in the last two years and he was still thinking about it today. He would walk Naruto home but would never be invited inside. He'd make conversation, hoping Naruto would be in a good mood and converse. He would try to give Naruto a genuinely loving smile, which wasn't as simple as some might think since all he mostly received were cold words and stares. He'd continue to bribe him to help him study, just to get time with him. He'd smile, even though it hurt. He smiled for Naruto just hoping he'd smile for him too.

"Uchiha, are you listening?" Naruto said, bringing Sasuke outside of his thoughts. "Uh…what were you saying?" he asked, noticing the look he was given. "I don't get this problem." Sasuke looked down at the problem, quickly going over it. "Oh there's a trick to solving this. Just-" he started explaining and never noticed the look that Naruto was giving him.

"Tomorrow," the raven began as he walked Naruto home. "We should study for the history test that's on Friday" he finished just as they came to a halt in front of Naruto's house. "Uchiha, aren't you getting tired of this?" he said, turning to face him. "You're annoying, I don't ask you about your issues, I don't care how you feel, I've rejected you so many times." He made a valid point. "I don't mind" Sasuke said, giving his usual smile. "I just want to be near you Nar-." He was cut off "Shut up!" Naruto yelled. "What? Do you want me to feel special or something because I'm the only one you smile like that for? Do you think you're so cool that you can get anyone you want?" Even though they both knew that was kind of true "What would everyone say if they found out you've been in love with me for almost two years?" _That_ smile came to his face. "What if I told?" Sasuke didn't falter. "I don't mind. You can tell if you want to. I love you and I'm not ashamed of it. People knowing won't affect me."

Naruto only stared in amazement at him. "You're a bastard, Uchiha." He went inside his house, leaving Sasuke standing there. After a moment Sasuke finally turned to leave. He had meant everything he had said to Naruto, but those three words Naruto said before just kept ringing in his head. "Aren't you tired?"

After school Sasuke had decided to soak in the tub to help him relax. He used this time to think about Naruto. He always thought about Naruto. "Uchiha" he mumbled, sinking lower into the tub. Yes, Uchiha was his last name. It just made him upset that that's all Naruto ever called him. "Sasuke." How he'd wish Naruto would call his name. How he wished they could be just a little closer. He fully submerged himself in the water for a few seconds before he popped back up, brushing hair out his face. He was relaxing, if even only a little.

When he got out of the tub he looked at himself in the mirror. 'Aren't you tired?' He couldn't stop the words Naruto said earlier from echoing in his mind. He took a good look at his reflection. He smiled at himself as he answered "a little…maybe just a little." He gave a sad smile, "maybe a lot." Then he started to giggle. Truth was, he wasn't known to smile that much, but he started to do so when Naruto appeared. "You're not the only one that puts on a face, I just hide it better."

Just as he left the bathroom, the phone rang. "Hello…hey…really? That's great…don't let me keep you. I'll talk to you later…don't overwork yourself ok…yeah, later." He hung up. That call made him feel a lot better. "At least he's doing ok." He found himself smiling again which in turn made him laugh. "Really, when did I start smiling so much?" He covered his eyes with his left hand and tilted his head back. "I must be going crazy," and he laughed some more.

**1 month later**

"I'm very proud of you, Uzumaki" the teacher let a smile appear on his face. "Huh?" Naruto had spaced out as soon as he got to class. "About what?" Wasn't he getting lectured again? "What do you mean? Your grades have gotten a lot better. You were about to fail my class with the grades you had, but with the grades you're getting now you'll be fine. But you should always aim higher, ok?" he finished with a smile. He was honestly happy for him and it showed. "Um, thank you sir." he was a little surprised at the moment that he couldn't give him _that_ smile. He wasn't praised a lot and he couldn't help that he had liked it.

He left the room looking at the gift the teacher had given him. It was a pencil and on it wrote "do your best". He wasn't sure what to call what he was felling right now. He put the pencil away and made his way to leave. Not surprisingly, Sasuke was at the gates waiting for him. When he turned and smiled at him Naruto paused for a moment, only a moment, then said "you're really a stalker, Uchiha" then continued walking. Naruto seemed to get that feeling again when heard Sasuke follow.

"Hey Naruto, let's go grab a bite to eat" Kiba said as he walked over to his seat. "Uh sure, where do you want to go?" He was hungry, so why not? "Alright. So it's you, me, Gaara, and Sasuke" At that, Sasuke who was looking at Naruto's work looked up at Kiba, "it's nice to be invited, but maybe you can try asking me first, Kiba." Kiba just smiled. "Well Naruto said yes so I took it as you'll come too. You're kind of always together, you know." Naruto gave him a look and was about to tell him that wasn't true, and then he remembered that almost every single day he called Sasuke a stalker. Expecting that Sasuke was always really with him, he somehow just came to accept it without noticing.

"So anyway, Naruto would you mind asking Gaara if he'll come?" Naruto gave him a look but Sasuke was the one to speak. "Stop listing names of people you haven't invited, Kiba." "But you know I did ask" he replied. "Why do I have to ask him then?" Naruto asked, Kiba was so aggravating at times. "Because… I'm not sure if he said yes." He couldn't help scratching his head at the looks he received.

"What exactly did Gaara say?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well I asked him if he wanted to grab a bite to eat. He asked with who and I said you, me, and Sasuke. Then he sighed and left." That made Naruto sigh. "Let's just take that as a yes then. Alright, let's go" he started getting up. "Ok, I'll go get him then." Kiba left quickly to go search. Naruto turned to Sasuke and they looked at each other for a minute. Sasuke was about to speak but Naruto beat him to it when he said "stalker." Sasuke only smiled as he got up to follow.

**A few days later **

"Hey Naruto!" the blonde girl yelled, wrapping her left arm around the boy's shoulder as he walked. "Hey Ino" he responded. "I've been hearing your praises so I wanted to congratulate you on doing better. I was afraid we all wouldn't graduate together" she finished, moving away. "Yeah, I'm doing fine so far." He didn't know how or why his improvement was getting around.

"Do you know what college you might be going to? Maybe some of us will be going to the same college." She smiled, looking very happy. "I'm not sure yet. I don't even know if I can afford it." That was the truth. "It's ok, don't be down about it." She gave him a hit in the arm for encouragement. "Sasuke will cheer you up." She smiled again and he gave her _that_ smile as she quickly scampered off.

Naruto walked down the hallway, ready to leave. It was a little strange that his stalker wasn't… well, stalking him. "Naruto." Stopping, he turned to see no other than his stalker. He continued walking as Sasuke caught up. "Here" Sasuke said, handing him some papers. "What's that?" Naruto asked, taking the papers. They were all papers for different types of scholarships. "So this is why you weren't stalking me" he mumbled. "What was that?" Sasuke asked. Naruto only looked up and sighed then started walking. He got that feeling again when he heard Sasuke follow him.

"You like to waste your time, huh Uchiha?" Naruto asked as he took a bite of his food. "Why do you say that?" Naruto pointed to the scholarships. "You're wasting your time." It's not like Naruto cared. "I don't mind" he knew the bastard would say. "Because it's for you, after all." He wasn't even going to look at the bastard.

~*o*~

"Brat, I asked you to buy the milk!" Tsunade yelled as she captured Naruto in her grip. "Baa-chan, let go! It's not my fault, it's the perv's. He took the money to buy the new porn magazine that came out." At that, she let him go. "I knew that was a new magazine. Damn Jiraiya, he knows milk keeps my skin smooth." He couldn't deny that but, "With all the alcohol you drink…" Naruto mumbled, but she had heard, which resulted in him getting into another head lock. "You know this doesn't hurt as much as your giant chest suffocating me!" He would think after all these years he would be able to get away from this woman's grasp easily and quickly, but sadly her chest was that strong. After a few minutes of struggle he was finally able to escape and get to his room. He looked at the table near his bed with the picture of his parents. He took a deep breath, "I'm back."

~*o*~

"They're using us for free manual labor, you know" Naruto said as he carried a box. "_Us_ you say. You put the majority of the weight in my arms though" Sasuke responded. "Well you're my stalker; I wouldn't want to strain myself when I know I could use you." If the bastard was going to stalk him he could use it to his advantage, right? "I'm not your butler or anything, you know." Naruto turned to him and put the box he was holding on top of the two Sasuke was carrying. "Hey Naruto!-" Sasuke started "You don't mind, right? So go finish this up." He made sure to give Sasuke _that_ smile of course. Sasuke just sighed and gave a little smile. "I'll be right back." Sasuke walked off and when he was out of sight Ino came running up.

"Naru-chan!" she squealed, coming to a halt. "What's up, Ino?" she seemed happy. "Guess what? I have a secret admire!" Her smile covered her entire face. "Well no wonder you look so happy." She giggled. "Well we all can't look as happy as you." He froze at that. "What do you mean?" Seriously, when has he expressed such happiness? "Well your eyes seem to shine whenever Sasuke is around. He makes you happy, doesn't he?" It didn't sound like a question. 'What' he thought. He was about to say something when Ino spoke first. "I'm going to go brag, I'll see you later" and she ran off.

'It's because she's nosy' Naruto thought as he lied in bed. Ino was always nosy, that didn't mean what she said was true. If anything, the look he'd have on his face would be annoyance, since the bastard always pestered him. He did not like Sasuke. He shifted and made himself more comfortable on his bed. That bastard was… well, a bastard. They had gotten along in the beginning. They could still have been like they were before if that bastard hadn't ruined it. The bastard ruined everything because he was always looking at him. He didn't have to say anything. He didn't have to notice anything. He didn't have to love him; he had never asked him to. It was all that damn bastard's fault, him and those damn eyes of his; those eyes that could see right through him. _Ba-bump_. Naruto quickly sat up and touched his chest. "What the hell?" _ba-bump_, _ba-bump_. "Why? Why is this happening again?" he clutched his chest tighter. "It's not because of him. I hate him, I hate him!" He tried to calm down but Ino's words came to mind. _"Well your eyes seem to shine when Sasuke's around."_He shook his head"No way in hell, there was no way in hell I'd let this happen." Naruto took a deep breath. "I'll never let that bastard affect me. I'll break his heart for trying to change mine." He finished that remark with _that_ smile the bastard loved.

"Hey Sasuke did you two get into a fight?" Kiba asked, taking a glance at Naruto. It wasn't really strange if Naruto wouldn't talk to or acknowledge Sasuke sometimes. They always just thought the two of them had gotten into a fight. Sasuke usually responded with "I might have gotten him a little mad at me." Sasuke was used to it. Sometime he knew why Naruto would do this and others times he wouldn't have a clue. He would just try his best to fix the situation; that's all he could ever really do. It was because he always paid attention to Naruto that he was able to notice all the small things he did. He could tell because he had watched Naruto for two years. He could tell that he was trying to hurt him.

"Naruto" Sasuke said, catching up to him. Naruto didn't acknowledge him and continued walking. It had been like this for a week now. Sasuke tried his hardest to get Naruto to talk to him or get some kind of reaction. They might not have had a great relationship, but they had one at least. If Naruto did pay Sasuke any attention, it was only harsh words and deadly glares. Besides helping him with his studies, what else could Sasuke do?

"Damn it!" the blond boy cursed. He was getting angry. The damn Uchiha was not getting the hint at all. In fact, it didn't seem as though it had been fazing him in the least. The bastard never let anything show in his face. 'He must think that he is so freaking cool.' He thought "I'm fine the way I am. It's fine if I close off to everyone else. Baa-chan and the perv are important to me. Everyone else can be acquaintances. I don't need anything more." He looked at a picture of his parents on the table next to him "I don't need anything more. I don't want it."

"I wonder if I should order in our go eat out?" the raven asked himself making it into his house. "Or maybe I should cook? When's the last time I did? If I'm not decent at it…I can just hear a remark about it now so-" he stopped talking to himself when he realized he wasn't alone in his home. He looked at the older man who just walked into the living room. "Oh Sasuke you're home. I was thinking if I should order food, cook, or take us out. Oh more importantly, welcome home Sasuke!" Sasuke couldn't help but laugh since he was thinking the same thing. "I'm home." It had been a long time since he'd seen his brother so he couldn't help but smile. "Welcome back, brother." Of course Itachi smiled too. "I'm back, Sasuke."

~~*o*~~

"Well the history final I know you will do great on since it is mostly what you know" Sasuke said, looking through his notes. He couldn't help but notice that Naruto had been glaring at him again. "Um…well, we also have an English exam so…" He began to look for the papers that held the notes. All the while Naruto continued to glare. He was mad. He didn't like the fact that the Uchiha bastard could really be affecting him. He had been thinking long and hard about what to do. He still was planning to break the bastard's heart but couldn't really think up how. He was sure that even if he did end up breaking the bastard's heart, they would still have the weird friendship that they had now. He took a deep breath and tried not to glare.

"Hey Uchiha, want to hang out tomorrow? Sasuke abruptly stopped and turned to face Naruto. This was the first time ever, _ever_ that Naruto had asked him out with him. Of course Sasuke was surprised, but it only showed for a moment. Uchiha's were famous for controlling their emotions after all, and Naruto knew that to be true. The only time for sure the Uchiha showed true emotions was when he smiled at him. The other times when he wasn't sure were the split seconds that some of the bastard's emotions were able to slip through. Naruto was still waiting for the bastard's response. He was sure of what the answer would be so he wasn't surprised when Sasuke smiled and said "I'd love to." It just irritated him more.

* * *

**A/N:** Finished the first chapter. Yeah. This will not be that long of a story, only about 2 or 3 chapters. Just needed to post something in the meantime until I find the chapter I'm missing for my other story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** He can't change the fact that he fell for him even if he gets called an idiot, and maybe he does look that foolish. Just why did he have to fall so hard for such a person?

**A/N:** Second chapter is up. Sasuke is still trying his best. I am also trying my best you wouldn't think this takes so long to write lol.

**Disclaimer:** still don't own Naruto only the story.

"…." Talking

'…..' Thought/thinking

~~*o*~~ scene change or break whatever you want to call it.

* * *

'Ok, Sasuke… breathe.' He took a deep breath as he repeated this in his head. He was standing in front of the movie theater waiting for Naruto. 'It's not a date' he repeated to himself for the tenth time that day. He was really trying to convince himself so he could calm his damn heart rate down. This was the first time that it would only be him and Naruto alone together hanging out.

The movie started at 1:15 p.m. 'It's just casual.' He had to keep thinking that but it was getting hard to lie to himself about how he felt. Even though it wasn't showing, he was really happy at the moment. That's why he'd ended up there early; it was only 12:05. He didn't mind waiting, even if it was a little cold. It was November after all. The weather was helping to mask the faint blush that dusted his cheeks when he thought too much, which Itachi had found amusing and was in part why Sasuke had left early. The girls who kept trying to approach him were more annoying than his brother, though. He wanted to be calm for when Naruto arrived.

Naruto was in a really good mood. Today was the day and he was ready. He paused and took a breath. "Ok, bring it on." He pressed eject and looked through the pile of movies that he had laid out. "What are you doing, brat?" He turned to his grandmother's voice. "Baa-chan, you have to watch this with me." Giving her a _come on, you know you want to_ grin. "What? What are you going to watch?" Depending on his answer, she might join in. He had just finished watching a movie that had caught her attention. It was already past 2 and she had nothing to do anyways.

"Marley and Me. Kiba's been saying how emotional and good it was. But he's such a dog lover, so I think he was just being over dramatic." Tsunde left for a few minutes and came back with a bowl of popcorn and joined him on the couch. "Sure, why not." He had already put the movie in so he just pressed play. "I'm surprised you didn't want to go out on a Saturday." He reached over for some popcorn. "By the way Baa-chan, if someone comes can you get it? Oh, and I'm not here ok?" She glanced at him "are you in trouble, Naruto?" He grinned. "no, no, just some friend stuff." She gave him a pat on the head "fine brat."

"He's not coming" the raven said in a whisper. He knew he shouldn't have expected much. He could laugh at himself right now for being so hopeful. He took out his cell to check the time. It was close to 5 o'clock. He had waited almost five hours for Naruto, just hoping that he would show. He had tried calling the blond but Naruto didn't pick up. He already knew that he wouldn't but he had to try. Surprisingly, he was allowed to have Naruto's cell number. He was glad he had gotten it before he had confessed. Of course he wasn't allowed to call and text him much, and because he didn't, he was allowed to keep it. He was freezing from being there so long. He decided to head over to Naruto's place to see if he was home.

"That's so sweet" Naruto and Tsunade said in unison. They had just finished up the movie and were a little surprised that they had enjoyed it. "Kiba was definitely over dramatic about the movie but it wasn't that bad, was it Baa-chan?" She just nodded in agreement. Naruto looked at the clock to see it was past 5. He heard the doorbell ring and quickly sunk down in the couch while Tsunade went to answer it. "Hello. I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if Naruto was here?"

Naruto slid off the couch and onto the floor. He wasn't sure if Sasuke would actually show up at his house, but it was already past 5. Did the bastard really wait that long? He hoped his grandmother would keep up her part. "Sorry, he isn't here at the moment." 'Yes, she remembered.' "Do you know when he'll be back?" 'Damn it, Uchiha. Leave!' "No, I'm not really sure." 'Tell him to leave.' "I know…thank you." With that, the door closed. Naruto got up to see his grandmother staring. "Thanks, Baa-chan" he smiled. "Brat, your friend was really cute." He just rolled his eyes. "He looked like he was freezing though. I need something to warm me up now. Where's my booze?" She left and Naruto looked away at the comment. "It's not like I care." But it didn't sound all that true.

~~*o*~~

"Thanksgiving break is here!" Kiba yelled. Yeah, a break sounds really good about now" Sasuke replied, getting up. "I'm going to go find Gaara, so get ready to go" and with that he left. "Hey Naruto, you ok?" Kiba asked, noticing the glare that he had been giving Sasuke. "I'm fine." It was a lie. He was ticked. It had been two weeks since Naruto had stood Sasuke up. Yeah, he had confronted Naruto about it and Naruto had given him an obviously bogus story. Then the bastard had smiled, said it was ok, and acted like normal once again. For the past two weeks he had been treating Sasuke like crap and the bastard still acted fine. He just stood there, motioning for Kiba to follow him.

'Damn it all'! Naruto cursed to himself once again. The bastard Uchiha had been glancing at him since they left school, since they parted with Kiba and Gaara, and had started walking him home. 'What the hell is the bastard thinking? I can't read his expression at all.' He was fuming with himself and was clearly showing he was irritated. Surprisingly, the bastard hadn't said much during the whole walk. It was mostly silent, which was weird because he always tried to get some type of conversation going if he could. 'Whatever' he thought, as his house came into view.

He had to stop and turn when the bastard grabbed his shoulder. "What?" Naruto spat out coldly. The bastard just kept surprising him. He looked so deep in thought. He finally spoke, "Naruto, I love you" and he smiled. Sasuke had told Naruto this many times, but this time it was different. Naruto couldn't tell why, but it was different. "Goodbye, Naruto" Sasuke said, still smiling, and Naruto swore his heart stopped for a moment. Then Sasuke waved and left. Without noticing, Naruto stood there for about a minute.

~~*o*~~

"Naruto, how much do you love me?" his grandfather had burst into his room yelling, causing him to jump. "What the hell, you perverted geezer!" He yelled back "Naruto I need you to take the full rap for something." He just stared at his grandfather. "What did you do?" Jiraiya held out some money to him. Naruto knew he was serious. "What did you do?" This was obviously very serious.

"It was an accident, I swear. But you know that expensive liquor Tsunade loves so much?" Naruto nodded. "I accidentally mistook it for the turkey sauce and poured it all over the turkey" he finished. "You did what!?" Baa-chan's favorite liquour was gone and the turkey couldn't be eaten. "No way I'll take the rap. Baa-chan could kill me. Ok, let's try to fix this. We'll get her drunk earlier than usual. Yeah, that might work." Jiraiya nodded and was on his way to look for Tsunade's other favorite liquor. His grandfather really knew how to bring entertainment to the family. But it wasn't enough to get Naruto's mind off the bastard Uchiha that had been occupying it.

"Itachi, did you buy dessert?" Sasuke asked, looking in the fridge. "I thought you were making it" he replied. Sasuke raised an eyebrow "what? I thought we agreed to buy dessert". Itachi walked over and pulled something out of the fridge. "So you did buy dessert" Sasuke said. "Only because I thought you'd forget to make it." Sasuke closed the fridge "I wasn't in charge of it." Itachi just smiled and went back to cooking. He didn't get as much time to spend with his brother as he used to and he knew Sasuke felt the same. "So, Sasuke…is everything alright?" he could always tell when something was off about his brother. "Yeah everything is fine"

'Stupid Thanksgiving break' Naruto thought. He had gotten smacked by his grandmother who had found out about her liquor. He wasn't even really at fault, so why did he get hit? And to top it off, he had gotten a little drunk off that turkey that Tsunade had made them eat. But what had really got him was that the bastard had occupied his mind the whole break. It couldn't be helped that Naruto was surprised when he went back to school and the Uchiha approached him with hello and… well, that was all. He wasn't acting like he usually did. He didn't smile at him often or say that he loved him or try to make conversation as often as he used to. It was strange and it had Naruto thinking about it throughout the entire day. He finally realized that the bastard was treating him like he would a friend. The bastard was trying to be friends.

"Bastard" Naruto mumbled. It was the third day of December and he couldn't get used to it. Sasuke hadn't said he loved him. 'That's what I wanted, right?' He also hadn't smiled at him very often, or had long conversations. He still helped him study though, but he didn't walk him home like he used to. He kept telling himself that it was only because he was so used to it; it had become a routine over the past two years why it was like this. That had to be the only reason, right? So was that really the reason his chest hurt so much, why he wanted to see the bastard's smile. Why he tried not to be cold towards the bastard, because he would just turn away and ignore him. That's what it is, right? It had nothing to do with the pounding in his chest, nothing at all.

"Hey, Uchiha" Sasuke turned to see Naruto. "Hey, you want to go see a movie this Thursday?" Of course the Uchiha had his usual face of indifference on. "That's Christmas Eve" his tone was normal too. "I know when it is. Do you want to go or not?" Sasuke only stared t him for a moment but Naruto knew he was thinking. "Why not?" he finally said, then he turned and left. Naruto stayed and watched him leave then clutched his chest tightly. "Bastard."

~~*o*~~

"You've got a pretty serious look on your face" Tsunade said, making Naruto turn away from the mirror to look at her. "It's nothing really" he just smiled and Tsunade gave him one of her own before she left. Naruto made sure to glance at the clock before he left. He saw that it was 4:35. He was running a little late.

Sasuke was once again early and he was standing in front of the movie theater. He looked at his cell to see that it was 5:10. The movie supposed to start at 5:20. He thought for sure that Naruto was going to stand him up again. "Hey bastard." He turned to see Naruto running up to him. He couldn't control the look of surprise that crossed his face. "Glad you made it on time." He couldn't help it that he gave a little smile. He turned and headed into the theater. He didn't notice Naruto focus his gaze and follow after him. "I didn't really see all of them" Sasuke said. Naruto handed him a ticket. "I just thought predators looked decent, and it doesn't really connect with the others so don't worry about it." They went in and found seats. Sasuke didn't notice how Naruto kept glancing at him during the whole movie.

"It was ok" Sasuke said as he followed Naruto to see the giant Christmas tree. It had gotten dark and he was finishing the pretzel he bought when they stopped at the cart vendor. He stopped next to Naruto to look at the tree. He glanced at Naruto without the blond noticing then looked back at the tree and finished his pretzel.

"It's nice, right?" the blond said, not taking his eyes off the tree. "Yeah, it is". After a few minutes Sasuke looked at his cell to see that it was past 9 already. "It's getting late. I'm going to get going, ok?" Naruto didn't reply but Sasuke wasn't sure he would have to begin with. This whole thing had been strange but nice, but he couldn't afford to stay any longer so he turned away from the blond and started to leave. Naruto finally glanced away from the tree and looked at the pretzel in his hand. "Bastard" he whispered and then turned to the leaving raven. And it was then that he realized that that bastard was really a bastard.

"Ouch!" Sasuke yelled, turning to see Naruto's pretzel next to him on the ground. 'So that's what hit me in the head.' He looked up at Naruto "what the hell, Uzumaki!" He stopped when he saw Naruto flinch. What was wrong? "You're a bastard!" the blond yelled. "You're the one who threw something at me!" he yelled back. "No, this is your fault! Why couldn't you have just been a friend?" He couldn't look at Sasuke. "That's what I'm trying to be, aren't I? I haven't done anything to-" he was interrupted. "That's right. You haven't done anything!"

"That's why it's your fault! If you hadn't have said anything, if you didn't confess, if you'd never said or done any of those things for the past two years, things wouldn't have to be like this now!" He still wouldn't look up. "What do you want me to do?" He didn't understand. "I'm trying to be good friends and I'm treating you like everyone else. What do you want from me?" What more could he do? "Do you want me to apologize for falling in love with you?" He wasn't sure he could do that. "No!" the blond yelled. "Then what, Naruto? What do you want me to apologize for?" Naruto finally looked up and Sasuke finally noticed the tears. Naruto was crying. "For making me fall in love with you!"

Sasuke's eyes suddenly grew wide. "What?" It was all he could muster as he looked at the blond. "It's your fault for noticing, for watching me, for comforting me, for always being there even when I was mean to you, even when I told you I hated you. It's all your fault for staying with me for two years, smiling and saying I love you. It's all your fault!" He tried to catch his breath, "I was fine the way I was" he tried to wipe the tears "it's your fault that it hurts when you're not there, when you don't smile at me, when you don't tell me 'I love you'. It's all your fault!" He didn't notice that Sasuke had started to walk towards him.

"That's why it's your fault, you bastard. I-" he was startled when Sasuke reached out and hugged him."Naruto" he couldn't help that he tensed a little after hearing his name. "I'll take the blame. I'll be responsible if you're serious. I was only being this way because you wanted me to." He held him tighter. "You think its easy hearing the person you love do and say the things that you did?" He felt Naruto flinch in his hold. "It wasn't easy, but even so I continued to love you. I loved you for two years and finally I…I started to think that I just couldn't do it anymore."

Naruto started to tremble as he tried to hold in the tears. He knew he had hurt Sasuke for such a long time. He didn't know what the bastard would do. "Naruto…do you hate me?" Naruto stood still for a moment then grabbed the back of Sasuke's jacket and shook his head no in the crook of his pale neck. "Are you sure you understand what you're saying? How you're feeling? Can you really think of being with me that way?" Sasuke took a breath "do you think we'll work? Do you think we'll make each other happy?" Naruto wasn't sure how to answer, what could he say?

"Naruto…why should I continue to love you?" he asked, pushing the blond away slightly so he could see his face. He hadn't stopped crying. 'I don't know. After everything I've done I… I just wanted to tell him. I don't want him to leave me.' They stood in silence. "I don't know," he finally said "I just wanted to tell you." He stared into those dark eyes then he did something that only his grandparents really ever saw. He smiled at Sasuke, a real smile. "I just…love you, Sasuke."

Finally turning from those eyes, he started to turn to leave. "Dobe" Naruto's head shot back to Sasuke. He had never seen him show his emotions so openly on his face. He could see just how happy he was at the moment. "This is the first time you said 'I love you'." He touched his wet cheeks, "the first time you ever called my name" he brushed the tears away and smiled.

"That's the first time you ever smiled at me for real. Do you know how hard it was to pretend not to love you?" After hearing Sasuke say 'pretend' the pain in his chest started to fade and his cheeks started to warm. "Naruto, you make things feel like a dream, so in case I wake up…can I kiss you?" After a moment, the blond nodded. Sasuke lowered his head as Naruto lifted his and Sasuke tried not to smile into their first kiss.

"You have pretty good aim" Sasuke said while rubbing Naruto's head and walking him home. Naruto wasn't saying much. In fact, he wasn't even looking at Sasuke. After the kiss they shared, they had both calmed down and Naruto was ignoring the hell out of him. If he tried to get close the blond would move away and glare at him. He knew that things wouldn't have changed that quickly between them. 'I should have tried for a deeper kiss.' But if he did he might have been worse off than he was now.

This wasn't going to get him down though. Not after what Naruto said. They came to a stop in front of the blonde's gate. "Naruto" he still wouldn't say anything or meet his eyes. "So, as of today I'm your boyfriend and we're dating." His head shot up at that and of course the yell came as well "what!" Sasuke smiled "well you confessed, I accepted, so we're dating." Before the blond could protest, Sasuke shut him up with a kiss. "Later, Naruto" Sasuke said quickly leaving a dazed Naruto, but Naruto came to before Sasuke left the block. "I didn't say crap like that Sasuke!"

~~*o*~~

"Naruto, have you seen Gaara?" Kiba asked, walking up to his friend. "By the way, where have you been hiding all this time?" He lost Gaara but he was finally able to find Naruto. "I haven't been hiding and I saw Gaara head to the kitchen. He was looking for you." Kiba's face looked extremely happy as he took off in search of said boy. 'Why did I come to this party? Oh, that's right, because Kiba wouldn't shut up and let him be if I didn't'. From the corner of his eyes he noticed black hair which made him duck. He looked again and realized that it wasn't Sasuke.

Naruto wasn't avoiding his friends, he was just avoiding Sasuke and had been doing a damn good job for almost a week now. Why was he avoiding him? That didn't really matter. His instincts just told him to. "Always listen to your instincts." "Ok" Naruto's head shot up to see Sasuke in front of him, and then the bastard kissed him. "T-Teme! Why'd you do that?" he wanted to yell but there were too many people around. Luckily no one had noticed. "Following my instincts" he grinned and Naruto shoved him away. "Back off, Sasuke!" But Sasuke still smiled.

"You know Naruto, you look way happier" Ino said smiling brightly. "And your relationship with Sasuke seems like it's sparked." Did his heart just stop? "What do you mean?" he couldn't look at her. "I mean you guys seem to be on better terms." He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Wait, what?" How could that be true? He had been a bigger jerk than ever since the beginning of the party. "Why do you think that?" Because he sure didn't see it. "Well for one, you've only been saying Sasuke, not Uchiha, and you two seem to have happier smiles when you do." He just stared at her. Were all his friends noticing this?

"Is everything ok?" Sasuke wasn't worried, just surprised since Naruto came, grabbed him and dragged him off to have some privacy. He was glaring once again at the raven. 'Since everyone is noticing because I say Sasuke, I'll just go back to his last name.' "Listen U…Uch…chi…" he knew he sounded like an idiot and Sasuke was for sure looking at him like one.

"You ok Naruto?" He couldn't help but laugh at the funny sound the blond was making. "Here" he gave him his drink, "maybe you're thirsty." Even though that wasn't the case, the blond took it. "Thanks, Sasuke." Damn, it was reflex now, and the bastard just kept smiling. "So what were you saying?" He definitely had to see his doctor about his heart problem. "You…get me something to eat." Quickly stealing a kiss, Sasuke responded "as you wish" and walked off, looking content while Naruto only glared and took another sip of his drink.

It was 11:30 pm. He had a headache and was so done with this party. He made sure to tell his friends he was leaving before he left. As he walked, he was making a decision on whether to take a bus or a cab. It was cold of course since it was January, and realizing that he didn't have enough money, he decided on the bus. 'About a freaking hour and a half ride to get home at night.' He sighed then turned abruptly when he heard a car honk. Low and behold it was his stalker.

"What, Teme?" "Come on. I'll drop you." The offer was tempting but he turned and started walking. He wasn't sure why, but the thought of being alone with Sasuke made him nervous. Of course Sasuke continued to stalk him in his car. After a few moments, Sasuke started to drive past Naruto, making the blond a little upset at the thought that he was leaving. The car then stopped and Sasuke got out and stood in front of him. "Please" was all he said. Naruto opened his mouth to retort but no words came out. They just stared at each other for a moment before Naruto went to the passenger's side and Sasuke got in.

The car was warm to Naruto's delight and it was quiet. Sasuke hadn't said anything since they entered the car five minutes ago. "Why'd you leave the party?" Naruto swore he wasn't interested, he was only asking because it was to quiet in the car."Because you left." Naruto turned to look at him. "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let you go home alone?" Naruto opened his mouth but then closed it. He turned and looked out the window. Why did his cheeks feel so warm? Shaking his head, he turned on the radio. After a few minutes he started humming to the song. He paused when he felt Sasuke take his hand. He rested his head back and glanced at their hands and then he started to hum again. He might have held Sasuke's hand a little, just a little. He knew the bastard was smiling, and he thought that was ok.

~~*o*~~

"Naruto, get your butt down here!" Tsunade yelled, and after another two minutes Naruto made his way downstairs. "Yeah, I'm leaving now" and he headed for the door. When he opened it, he saw Sasuke. "About time." Sasuke smiled and they went to the car. Since the party a week ago, Sasuke had been picking him up and dropping him home. Naruto had glanced at his face and noticed it was a little red, probably from how long he was standing in the cold. Sasuke wouldn't come inside when Tsunade offered and Naruto knew why. It was because Sasuke was waiting for him to ask him himself.

"Naru-chan!" Ino yelled as she hugged the blond boy. "Morning, Ino" he tried escaping her grasp. "I can't wait for the senior trip. Aren't you excited?" A nod was all it took for the blond girl to be on her way. Senior trip. He had totally forgotten about that. Where was it anyway? It's not like he was planning on going regardless. It wouldn't take long for him to forget about it again. Except that Kiba kept bugging him to go. "So Naruto, what do you say?" Kiba whined "Come on Naruto, you have to come. Be our roommate. It'll be fun. Me, Gaara, you, and Sasuke." If Sasuke was going that was even more of a reason not to. "What did I tell you about including people before asking them, Kiba?" So the bastard wasn't going then.

"Come on Sasuke, be in our room. You too, Naruto. I already told Gaara you would." 'The hell he was-' "Ok." 'Wait, he didn't say that.' "Really, Sasuke?" he turned to the raven. "Yeah. we'll go." Naruto turned to tell Kiba no, but the stupid brunette had already left so he turned back to Sasuke. "You'll go, won't you?" His glare was a clear response.

It had been a week a week since Kiba kept bugging Naruto to be in their group. It was just two more days until it didn't matter and the dead line would pass. "Naruto" crap he turned and glared at Sasuke who was once again helping him study. "You ok?"he asked, raising an eyebrow. He had been ranting for about five minutes about how annoying Kiba was being – well in his head anyway.

He had to glare at the teme. He hadn't brought the topic back up since Kiba had mentioned it. It's not like he cared, he was just curious. "How come you aren't asking me to go?" He didn't need to specify. "If you don't want to, it's ok. I'll stay back with you." hH would, wouldn't he' "Why?" He must've been looking forward to this too. "I don't want to be away from you for four day." He said, taking a drink of his soda. "Of course you don't." Looking back at his paper he mumbled "damn stalker".

"Really? Really, really?" Kiba repeated as his eyes sparkled. "Will you shut up before I change my mind!" Naruto snapped, but Kiba just hugged him. "Thank you for coming, Naruto!" He dashed out of the classroom and Naruto knew exactly where the idiot went. It was an excuse to talk to Gaara.

He couldn't help but growl when he turned and faced the bastard who was of course smiling. "What?" He couldn't help it that he barked, but Sasuke kept his smile and Naruto just looked away. It's not like he was going because of Sasuke. Ok he was, but for a good reason. He was going so Sasuke couldn't stalk his ass when everyone else was gone. His friends wouldn't be there for an excuse to turn the bastard down. That's the reason.

It was the day of the trip and Naruto was packed, and his suitcase downstairs. He was looking at the picture of his parents. "I'll be gone for a few days. I'll be back soon. Love you." He placed the picture down and made his way downstairs. He said goodbye to his grandparents and made his way outside to see Sasuke waiting. The bastard had already put his things away so he walked right past him and into the car.

He was cursing on the bus ride there. Well, in his head anyway. No surprise as to who was at his side for the whole way there… the bastard. He had tried to avoid this, he did, but Kiba was sitting next to Gaara, Ino next to Shion, Shikamaru next to Choji, Hinata next to Shino, Jugo next to Suigetsu, and Neji – Naruto couldn't help but laugh because Neji was next to Karin, who kept trying to touch him. So of course, for some reason, he had to sit next to Sasuke who he was once again ignoring as he chatted to his friend around him.

* * *

**A/N:** End of chapter 2, yup. Next chapter will be the last chapter. I have been inspired to write a No. 6 fic, so maybe you'll see that soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:** He can't change the fact that he fell for him even if he gets called an idiot, and maybe he does look that foolish. Just why did he have to fall so hard for such a person?

**A/N:** Final chapter is up. It wasn't meant to be long but I wanted to post some stuff. Naruto and Sasuke will settle all that needs to be settled.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Naruto, only the story.

"…." Talking

'…..' Thought/thinking

~~*o*~~ scene change or break whatever you want to call it.

* * *

"_What…the…hell…is…this_?" Naruto asked, staring at the _two_ beds. Two! "What do you mean?"Gaara asked, entering the room. "Why are there only two beds?" he didn't take his eyes off this fact. "What do you mean?" he simply repeated. "Didn't we get a room for four?" Why was he the only one shocked? "Yeah, we did. But we have to share beds." It didn't seem like an issue to him.

Naruto was about to speak again when stupid Kiba opened his mouth. "Yeah, I'll bunk with Gaara and you bunk with Sasuke." Those simple words echoed in the blonde's mind. 'Bunk with Sasuke. The same bed, together, sharing for three nights. Just then Sasuke came in with his and Naruto's bags. He looked up to get a deadly glare from the blond. "Uh…?" he was confused as he looked around but then came up with an idea of what was going on. He was right because just then Naruto yelled "you sleep on the floor, bastard!"

After a few minutes of walking around, Naruto had finally calmed down. Why hadn't anyone explained the whole sharing a bed thing? He would have definitely said no if he had known. He saw some of the other kids from the other schools but he didn't really care about that. A smile came to his face when he found the arcade room and a zombie shooting game that was calling his name.

He was having a good time when he noticed someone pick up the other controller. He thought it was the bastard but he turned to see it was some boy who had similar traits to his bastard. Meek black hair and eyes, nothing like Sasuke, the more he looked. "Hi, name's Sai. Mind if I play?" He popped in more quarters. "Not at all. The name's Naruto." He continued playing with a few questions from Sai. "So what school do you go to, Naruto?" He shot a zombie. "I go to Konoha High. What school are you from?" "I go to Roots High." Naruto remembered that school from the six that would be attending the trip.

Killing zombies and chatting with Sai for a while wasn't that bad. He never noticed that Sai kept taking glances at him though. He did realize that he spent about twenty minutes in the arcade room. He looked around thinking that his stalker might be there but he didn't see him. "So Naruto, would you like to…you know?" he turned back to the boy who was giving a fake smile "Know what?" He did notice this time when Sai moved closer. "To go somewhere more…private?" His smile never faltered. 'What the hell's with this dude?' He knew where the guy was going, he just didn't know why he was going there. "Sai" they both turned and some pink-haired chick came up to them. "I've been looking for you. Oh, hello. My name's Sakura." Naruto had taken the chance and moved further away from the brunette. "Uh, hi. My name's Naruto. Nice to meet you." He so wanted to leave. "Naruto" they all turned to see Sasuke and Naruto quickly walked over to him. "Well, see you guys."

"I can't believe you're making Sasuke sleep on the floor." They were all watching as Sasuke finished laying a blanket and pillow down. "He's not complaining" Naruto just hugged his pillow closer. "You can crash with us" Gaara offered as the raven lied down. "It's ok" He shifted his pillow "You sure?" Sasuke just nodded and they said goodnight. Naruto made sure to have his back to Sasuke. He knew Sasuke wasn't going to come back into the bed unless he told him he could. He knew Sasuke didn't have to sleep on the floor. He knew Sasuke didn't have to be so nice after everything. He knew because he knew Sasuke, and that scared him.

~~*o*~~

"It's too early for this" Kiba whined. "Breakfast is from 7 to 8 am. If you miss it, you miss it" Gaara said back. Naruto and Kiba still didn't like the early morning but that didn't stop them from stuffing their plates. The group of four sat at a table for six. Naruto next to Sasuke who was next to Gaara, and Kiba last. "Come on Sasuke, it's "all you can eat" and there's not much on your plate" Kiba commented. Naruto glanced at Sasuke's plate to see two pieces of toast, a few bites of scrambled eggs, and a handful of fruit. The teme really needed to eat more. "Hey Naruto, can we sit with you?" He looked up to see that pink-haired chick, Sakura and that guy, Sai "Uh…sure".

"It's good to see you. We were planning to go roller skating and we were wondering if you and your friends wanted to come?" Naruto thought she was kind of cute and it would be ok to make some new friends, but he also thought Sai was just weird. "Oh, um, my name is Sakura by the way and this is my friend, Sai. We're from Roots. We met Naruto yesterday." He realized he was supposed to introduce his own friends. "Oh yeah, these are my friends Sasuke, Gaara and Kiba. All from Konoha High." Naruto tried not to glare at Sasuke. He did notice Sakura staring at him though. "It's nice to meet you guys" she gave a cute smile as she blushed while still staring at Sasuke. He noticed Sai was staring at him and he just couldn't help but think the guy was creepy.

"I'm not getting up" Naruto spat at his friends. They had taken the bus to the skating rink. They had gotten their skates, put them on, and Naruto tried to skate and ended up falling on his butt…hard. So his friends made the wise decision to let him cool off. As they went around the rink, he noticed Sasuke who had that pink-haired chick at his side. His fingers tightened on his seat when she fell into him. Yes, it could have been an accident if it wasn't for the fact that she wasn't letting go of him. Why didn't the bastard push her off?

"Still sitting, Naruto-kun?" It was Sai and he just had to sit next to him too. "Yeah, I-" he paused when he felt the freak's hand stroking his thigh. He turned to the jerk once again who was trying to enter his personal space. "Naruto" they turned to see Sasuke and he quickly took the opportunity to move away. Sasuke took his hand and took him into the rink. "Sasuke, you bastard! I can't-" he started falling but Sasuke caught him. "Come on, I'll teach you." He felt the bastard was showing off as he held his hands and skated backwards. "Don't worry dobe, I'll catch you if you fall." He felt his cheeks getting warm but he didn't push Sasuke away, because he would fall of course. And only because of that. So instead he just said "I'd rather you skate at my side." Of course the bastard smiled as he did what he was asked.

Naruto was in a pretty good mood. He had learned how to skate and couldn't deny that Sasuke was a good teacher. They had just finished dinner and since he was the first one done, he left first to explore one again. He knew that the teme would be there soon. "Hey" he turned to find it was so not Sasuke. "What do you want Sai?" Sai walked over and stood by his side. This guy so did not know about personal space. He creeped him out. "I was looking for you, Naruto-kun." He disliked that creepy smile. "Look, you-" he couldn't finish because the freak decided to kiss him. He pushed him off and quickly wiped his lips. He opened his mouth to say something when he caught Sasuke from the corner of his eye. "Oh, we had an audience." Naruto punched him, turned, and pulled Sasuke to follow as they left.

They were the only ones there when they made it back to the room. Naruto was washing his mouth out. When he finished he came back out to see Sasuke standing the same place he had left him. He didn't like the look that was on the raven's face. He especially didn't like it when Sasuke turned to leave. "What?" he paused but he didn't turn to him. It's not like he was sure about what to say, but he knew that he didn't like what was happening right now. "What? If you have something to say, say it" he started to walk over to him. "What's your problem?" At that Sasuke abruptly turned and Naruto stopped a good foot away from him.

"What my problem is, is that my so called boyfriend just got kissed by another guy and he seems fine right now." He was upset. "Well, it's whatever. I punched the weirdo". Naruto glared at Sasuke. "You should understand how I feel" Sasuke took a step closer. "It wasn't a big deal! It was just a kiss. It didn't mean anything!" he spat. "Wouldn't you be upset if someone kissed me?" he spat back. "No!" he yelled, and then paused. He saw the hurt look in Sasuke's eyes. They just stared for a minute before Sasuke turned and left. Naruto stood there for a few minutes and realized Sasuke wasn't coming back.

"Come on, Naruto!" Kiba yelled over the music and once again Naruto shook his head no. He received a playful push from his friend before he went back to the dance floor that the hotel had made by moving the tables out. He had been scanning the dance floor for Sasuke but hadn't seen him yet. He had waited in the room for half an hour before Kiba came in and dragged him to the party in the big hall that night. "That idiot had some nerve" Ino said, sitting down. "What happened?" he knew she would talk either way. "I tried to get a dance with Sasuke but that forehead girl kept trying to pull him away" she pointed in a direction and he turned to see Sasuke and the pink-headed girl. She was holding on to the teme's arm and leaning far too close. He clenched his teeth, got up, went over, and pulled Sasuke out of the dance hall.

Arriving at an empty place, he turned to the brunette. "So you're going to let strangers cling to you now?" He wasn't looking at the teme, instead he opted to glare at the wall. "It's not my fault Sakura is clingy. Besides, it shouldn't bother you anyway. You said so yourself." Naruto clenched his fist but didn't say anything. They stood there for a moment before Sasuke spoke. "Come on, let's go back." Sasuke turned to go but halted when he felt the pull on his sleeve.

"I didn't mean to say no," the blond whispered "and I'm sorry so…" his grip tightened on the sleeve. "So don't…don't kiss anyone" and he bit his lip. He's never like this, this wasn't like him. When did the thought of Sasuke upset with him, not looking at him, not anything, make him like this? He let go of the sleeve and tried to walk past him when Sasuke grabbed his arm. "I would never kiss anyone who isn't you, and I wouldn't let anyone kiss me." Naruto glanced away "Let go" he tried to pull away but the bastard pulled him closer. "So don't worry, and thank you for showing you care." He finally shoved him away. "I wasn't worried!"

It was about 12:30 a.m. when Naruto woke up. He turned and moved to the edge of the bed. He looked down at Sasuke for a few minutes. He noticed him turn. His eyes fluttered open and blue eyes looked into black and Sasuke sat up. "What's wrong?" He glanced at the clock. "Are you cold?" the blond asked. They stared at each other for a moment then Sasuke nodded his head. "Since…you know, the floor's cold and…the room's cold." He shifted his eyes "you can sleep on the bed…if you want" once again he blushed. "But you have to keep your distance" he quickly added. They finally locked eyes again after a moment and Sasuke started to get up and Naruto moved over. They lied on the bed facing each other and Sasuke was surprised Naruto didn't tell him to turn around. He was even more surprised that Naruto faced him. "Thanks." He was happy. "Are you still angry?" he whispered. "No, dobe." Naruto couldn't help but smile "I'm not a dobe, teme."

~~*o*~~

"You know Sasuke, everyone is going to be at the pool today. You should come." Naruto just clenched his fist and tried really hard not to glare at the pink-haired girl. "Sure." What the hell did Sasuke just say? He glanced at the brunette then back at Sakura, who looked like she had just won some prize. "Great! So I'll see you then" she smiled and ran off. Naruto wasn't mad that Sasuke agreed, he wasn't, but he still left before Sasuke could say anything. Shooting something at the arcade would cool him down. "Yess, new high score!" Hurting things was a great way to calm down. He was about to play again when that damn voice he came to know called to him "Naruto". Of course he turned to see no other than, "Sai." The contempt was obvious in his voice.

"Don't be like that Naruto-kun, after I came to see you." that elicited a twitch from the blonde's eyebrow. What did the freak want from his life? The punch he gave him should have been enough to get the point across. "What do you want?" his eyes were narrowed. "I think we got off on the wrong foot, so why don't we try again?" There it was. That weird smile again. "No thanks." His glare said go away, but there Sai of course still stood. "Why? Don't you find me attractive?"

"No."

"Really? Well I can change that-"

"No."

"Why, are you dating someone?" At that Naruto paused and took a breath. "I would never date someone like you" he tried walking past the weirdo who of course blocked him. "Come on Naruto, I think you're really cute." He couldn't care less what he thought. "Move!" Of course he didn't. "Why don't you hang out with me for a while?"

"No."

"If you give me a good reason, I will leave you alone." He had a good reason and that reason was a bastard who should be on his way soon. "Well?" he smiled again. 'Ew, he needs to stop doing that.' Naruto gave a small frown "I have a…stalker." That sure changed the look on Sai's face. "A stalker?" he looked confused. "Yeah, a stalker. And there he is." Sai turned to see Naruto go over to Sasuke. "Stalker huh…" he said to himself as Naruto walked away with the raven.

~~*o*~~

"How could you shoot me!?" the brunette yelled. "You deserved it" Naruto smiled. They had decided to play paintball and he had shot Kiba five times. "You snuck up on me" Sasuke said simply, rolling his eyes. "You jumped in front of my shot" Gaara sighed. It was Kiba's own fault that he looked like a box of sprinkles. "It's not fair, you guys barely got hit! You should have had my back, Gaara. This stuff really hurts." That's something that they could all agree on; getting hit with a paintball hurt like hell. "Don't worry, you'll feel better after a good soak" Sasuke said as they started to change out of their gear. "I better" Kiba groaned as they made their way back to their rooms to change for the pool.

Naruto was dressed in his swim wear, holding his towel on his bed and sulking. He didn't want to go to the pool. "Thanks for waiting" Sasuke said, coming out the bathroom dressed in swimwear. Naruto knew he was blushing so he quickly glanced away. He started feeling nervous. It was the two of them alone in a room dressed in swim shorts. He never really looked at Sasuke's body and he felt embarrassed.

Don't get him wrong, Naruto had a nice body and Sasuke did too. That's when he realized he had turned back and was staring again. Naruto didn't know why, but he got up and stood in front of him. He noticed that Sasuke was about an inch taller than him and that the brunette was looking at him intently. "W-what are you doing?" Naruto asked, but Sasuke just smiled at the strange question. "You can stare all you want." Naruto just blushed a little more. "It makes me very happy knowing you're working to make our relationship better." Naruto glanced away "I-I'm doing no such thing."

'Where are we going?' Naruto thought to himself. 'The swimming pool isn't this way.' Finally Sasuke brought them to a room where he saw most of his friends in the Jacuzzi of the spa room. "What's going on?" He glanced at the crowd. "Sasuke had a great idea. He proposed we all skip the crowded pool and go for the hot tub" Ino smiled. Naruto looked at everyone and then at Sasuke. "Yeah, I like that better too." The first fifteen seconds in the tub was nice, then Kiba started splashing everyone and a water fight broke out. After ten minutes of that they finally started relaxing again "Hey guys." They all turned to see Sakura. "Mind if I join?" She was already walking over "Sure" Kiba answered. Naruto glared. 'I should've shot him more today' Naruto thought as she came in. Sure enough, she sat next to Sasuke.

"So how come you weren't at the pool?' she asked, moving closer him. "It was too crowded." He wasn't paying her much attention. "You heard of personal space, forehead?" Ino glared and Sakura glared back at her. "Who are you calling forehead, pig?" She grabbed Sasuke's arm and snuggled. "Because Sasuke doesn't mind, right?" she blushed looking at him. He opened his mouth to say something when Naruto spoke. "Yes he does, and I do too." Everyone was more interested now.

"No he doesn't and why should you?" she latched on tighter and Naruto snapped. He pulled Sasuke's other arm and held on tightly "because he's _**my**_ boyfriend, so stop clinging to him!" Everyone gasped and Naruto froze. What did he just say out loud? Sasuke pushed Sakura away and put his arm around Naruto. "Yes I have a problem with it, and yes he would too since we are dating. And for the last time, I told you I'm not interested in you." Sakura sat frozen. "B-but" she didn't get to finish as Kiba yelled "no way you two are dating! Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Congratulations" Hinata smiled. "I thought you liked each other" Gaara nodded. "I knew you two would get together" Ino squealed. All the while Naruto was trying to push Sasuke off so he could run away. "You're gay, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked in a high voice. "No" and everyone paused at the answer that made Sakura smile. "So you like girls after all" her voice was happy. "No" he said simply and everyone just stared confused. "Then…then what?" she was confused "The only person I've ever felt this way for is Naruto. I don't care about gay or straight, I just love Naruto and Naruto alone." Ino and Hinata awed, Kiba cheered, Gaara nodded, and Sakura finally decided it was time to leave. By that time Naruto's face had taken on a deep red color. He didn't care that his friends were cool that he was with Sasuke or that they were happy for them. He just wanted to run away and hide but the damn teme wouldn't let him go.

He couldn't believe that, that had just happened. After he was finally able to run away he took a quick shower and changed his clothes. Then he went to go kill some zombies. It was after that, that he was finally able to calm down until he ran into some of his friends who congratulated him, were upset he didn't tell sooner, and jealous that he had Sasuke who he had just run away from again a few minutes ago. After he was finally able to get away from everyone he took a minute to rest. Everyone was happy for him. They were smiling, hugging, and joking with him and he ended up smiling. A real smile. He wasn't mad or shocked that he did. He realized he was changing little by little and he started to think that it wasn't that bad. "Naruto" he wasn't surprised to see Sasuke. He stood there and decided not to run away and Sasuke smiled. "It's dinner time." He nodded and started to walk to his bastard. On their way back they saw Sai who smiled, but not that creepy smile he was used to. "So stalker was your boyfriend, huh? Cute nickname."

Tonight was their last night at the hotel. Naruto and Sasuke lay awake looking at each other while Gaara and Kiba had fallen asleep a little while ago. "It's our last night here, it should be special" Sasuke said and at that Naruto blushed. "Like what?" He wasn't sure where this was going but he knew that he wasn't going to go _there_. Sasuke must have sensed Naruto's thoughts since he laughed and said "nothing like that." Naruto was able to calm down. "What are you thinking Sasuke?" He knew for sure he was lost. "Come here." Naruto blinked, then glared, and Sasuke sighed. Then Naruto hit his head into Sasuke's chest **hard**, but still moved closer. He wrapped his arm around the blond and nuzzled his hair as he pulled him closer to his chest. "Goodnight Naruto" slowly Naruto held Sasuke back. "Night…bastard."

The bus ride was fun and full of questions. "How long have you two been dating?" asked Gaara. "Almost a month" Sasuke answered. "So how long have you been in love?" Ino asked. "I've loved Naruto for about two years now." All the girls awed. "How about you, Naruto?" They all turned to the blond who had been glaring at Sasuke and he blushed a little as everyone stared. "I'm…not telling." The girls nagged him for a while before they finally let it go. He wasn't going to answer something that embarrassing, especially when he wasn't sure of the answer himself.

Naruto had been thinking since the bus ride ended and he was currently waiting in Sasuke's car for him to put the bags in the trunk. It wasn't until they made it to his place and Sasuke brought his bag to the door that he made a decision. He opened the door, "carry them to my room" and Sasuke dropped the bag a little when he realized that Naruto was inviting him inside. Not wanting him to change his mind, he quickly went in. "Brat, you're back" she hugged him. When she noticed Sasuke, she smiled. "So you finally came in, huh? Well you better stay for dinner." Sasuke glanced at Naruto and after a moment agreed to.

"Are these your parents?" Sasuke asked, looking at the photo. "Yeah" he sat on the bed. "Your mom's really pretty, and you look a lot like your dad." He placed the picture back down and looked at Naruto as he stood against the wall. "So where are they?" He was pretty sure he knew the answer. He was also sure Naruto was about to kick him out, but he wanted the topic brought up. Naruto met his gaze. "I'll tell you some other time." Sasuke was shocked because he was sure he was going to be glared or yelled at and then thrown out. He couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, ok." He went and sat next to his blond, reached out, and held his hand. "You know…sometimes it's hard being with you." The blond flinched slightly, thinking that he had upset Sasuke. Thinking that Sasuke was getting tired of him, that he couldn't handle his behavior anymore, that he-. "Because I end up falling for you more and more." He blushed at that. Then Sasuke turned to him to place a kiss on his lips.

Dinner was going great and Naruto couldn't help but smile. Sasuke and his family were getting along really well. He even knew about those perverted books his grandfather wrote, and got Tsunade to when he told her he'd bring over the wine his brother sent from Paris. Then Tsunade had to break the spell by asking "so brat, is Sasuke like your best friend or something?" He paused and looked around at them before catching Sasuke's eyes. Sasuke gave a smile saying it was ok. "Um yeah, he's my best friend". Before anyone could start talking he continued, "he's also my…boyfriend"

He didn't know how his grandparents would react to him being gay. So he couldn't believe…that they were worse than his friends. "No way. Really? Who'd think that you would get a hottie like that. Then again, you _are_ my grandson so you're pretty damn good looking yourself. He looks like he has a good body too, brat." she grinned. "Ah, young love. The classic tale of falling for your best friend and facing the challenges of intimacy. This would be a good book." Then Jiraiya pulled out a pad and pen to write something down as Tsunade started talking again. The boys couldn't help the blush that covered their faces as the elders continued trying to ask questions that had Naruto snapping at some and choking on others while Sasuke just gave a nervous smile.

~~*o*~~

How the hell did the blond find himself in this situation? What situation? Well he was currently trying to make chocolate. Why? He was told…more like annoyed by Ino that he should hand-make the chocolate for Valentine's Day, which was tomorrow. It's not like he was planning to give Sasuke chocolate. He only kept trying because he wanted them to come out good for himself. Yeah, he would make it for himself and if he had any leftover, he might share. He finally stopped cooking some time close to midnight. The chocolates he made weren't as pretty as the one in the book but they tasted ok at least.

He was irritated. It was Valentine's Day and he was glaring and surprisingly, yes, he was glaring at Sasuke because every two to five minutes some girl would come give him chocolates. Didn't they know he was with someone? Well the seniors on the trip knew and it's not like they were blabbing. The glare was more directed at the girls, and some guys, more than the brunette himself. Thinking back, he realized he always got irritated at Sasuke when this day came around. He felt nervous about giving him chocolates. That's why he was shocked when he found himself in front of the brunette. When the hell did he walk over? Before he knew it he handed Sasuke his chocolates. "Happy Valentine's Day." This was so stupid. He didn't even celebrate holidays like that. But when Sasuke smiled and kissed him on the cheek, "thanks, love" he couldn't help that he was happy and thought celebrating these days weren't so bad.

"You're so lucky to have a boyfriend like Sasuke. Let me have one, man!" Kiba whined. Sasuke had given Naruto a box of chocolate, Godiva chocolate to be exact, and then a small bag from The Chocolate Factory. He had even gotten most of his favorites, which in total must have cost him a pretty penny. He wasn't sure how much but he knew the cheapest this could be was thirty dollars. Sasuke still had the gall to apologize for not making it himself and that he would make it up to him. Naruto had responded by saying that he would take this kind over homemade any day, but he made sure to add that once in a while would be ok too. Every time he glanced at Sasuke after eating a piece of chocolate, there was a smile on his face. "Naruto" he finally gave into the nagging and shared with his friend.

"We don't have to go to dinner" Naruto mumbled in the car. He had gotten used to dates and didn't feel nervous much anymore. "I want to. Besides, this way I get to have you all to myself." Sasuke could be a little possessive and jealous sometimes and Naruto had to say that he kind of liked it.

"It should be a comedy" the blond said, waving the movie in Sasuke's face. They were at Sasuke's place and it was the third time he'd been there. The second time he had met his brother, Itachi. He was really nice but never really home, and even though it wasn't his house he could feel how lonely it must be. "We'll watch what you want, but first" he turned on the couch to face his blond boyfriend "let's talk". Naruto was pretty sure he knew where this conversation was going so he just nodded. "I'm really glad that we're dating but I'm happier that I get to see a real smile on your face. It's beautiful, you know." Damn, he knew he was blushing. Only Sasuke could say this embarrassing bullshit with a straight face. "I'd like for you to show that smile more. So can you tell me why you wore the old one?"

He was surprised that Naruto didn't glare. He was really trying not to anymore. Some time went by as Sasuke patiently waited. If he gave a look that he didn't want to talk about it, he knew Sasuke would drop the subject for now. He was always sweet to him, even when he shouldn't be. If Naruto was in his shoes he would have hit him a long, long, time ago. He took a deep breath before he began. "It was to keep people at bay" he paused. Sasuke didn't say anything he just brushed a thumb over his hand in comfort so he continued.

"When I was young about ten, my parents and I were in a car accident. I woke up to see them already gone. I cried for hours and was depressed for months. I didn't know it would hurt so much and I didn't want to hurt like that again. So I tried to keep my distance from people. You know, it wouldn't hurt as much if you're not close enough. The only people who saw my real smile were my grandparents. I love them more than anything; they were all I had left." He sighed "I was fine not really connecting with anyone. Then you came along and changed that. It still worries me to lose people, but I do like the connections that I have now. It might be stupid but…no one likes being hurt right?" He leaned into the touch of Sasuke's hand on his cheek. "It's not stupid. I completely understand and I'm glad you could have a connection with me." He couldn't help but smile because he was glad for that too.

"What about _your_ parents, Sasuke?" He brushed his thumb across his tan cheek. "My parents died when I was nine. It's not as bad as you think though. My parents, they….they didn't treat us like what you would be used to. We were like machines – me and Itachi – to them. They were just making us in their own image. I was a disappointment when I cried, laughed, smiled…that's what they would tell me. I was only four and they put such strong restrictions on me. I became closed off and empty. After their death I was like that too. It was Itachi who took care of me and helped me become more…normal, I guess. I had to go to therapy for a few years until I was about thirteen. Then a year later I fell in love for the first time in my life and I didn't want that feeling to disappear." They locked eyes. "So I chased after you…and you…finally turned back to look at me." Sasuke glanced away. "Sometimes I feel like I'm still not stable and sometimes I do take medication if needed. I understand what an experience can do to you." He turned back to his blond "but I don't want to be held down by it…so you shouldn't either". Naruto nodded, and for the first time ever he moved in and kissed his boyfriend.

~~*o*~~

**Time skip**

"Naruto get up, you'll be late" the blond stirred and looked to the door to see Sasuke. "Hurry up and get ready. I'll make breakfast". Naruto nodded and Sasuke left. He stretched in bed and brushed his hair from his face. He looked at his hand and smiled as he saw his engagement ring. They had been together for almost five years now. They had been living together for three and engaged for a few months. Their wedding was in a month and they had been talking about children for the last three. He couldn't believe how far they had come and how happy they were now. He never knew he could smile so much. It might not have been the ideal love story, especially since it started with Naruto hitting his fiancé in the back of the head with a pretzel on Christmas Eve. "Moron" Sasuke said, kissing his tan cheek. "I told you to get up, didn't I?" He turned and wrapped his arms around his teme, giving him a kiss. "Persuade me to" he smiled seductively as Sasuke began to do just that. Like he said, it might not have been a typical love story, but Naruto doesn't mind.

* * *

**A/N:** Finished another short story. This one I liked and the concept stayed within the same view that I wanted it to, but some things went differently. Hope you liked it! _


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